Strangefinder Modern: Being a Strangefinder

Strangefinder Modern are modern ideas for a strange urban fantasy world that could be played using the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and Anachronistic Adventures.

Being a Strangefinder

Strangefinders, well, they find strange things. It’s in their title, and everything. So, any Strangefinder PC must have that ability. (Strangemasters, Strangesages, and Sanchos are covered elsewhere. Well, I mean, they may be eventually.)

A Strangefinder can sense if something Strange is going one by examining the direct evidence of a manifestation of Alterniversal frequency overlap. Hearing about it and reading about it aren’t good enough, but seeing footprints,. Interviewing witnesses in person (though not by video), and, of course, being attacked by a manifestation or something caused by a manifestation are good enough.

For each day of secondary direct research (such as interviewing witnesses) a Strangefinder engages in, or each noteworthy piece of primary evidence a Strangefinder finds, the Strangefinder may make a Strange Hunch check. This has a percent chance of telling the Strangefinder is he has found something Strange, and if so what Strange Case it is connected to. The % chance is equal to 70%, +1% per Strangefinder level, +1% per Strange thing connected to the case that has been successfully identified with Strange Augury already, +10% if working with a Sancho.

On a failed check, the Strangefinder just doesn’t know yet. He never gets a false positive. If something isn’t Strangem, but is Weird, the Strangefinder learns that on a successful check, but that’s all he learns. (If there are Weirdfinders out there, they aren’t talking to us.)

As a result, Strangefinders have to go to places with unexplained or freaky occurrences, ask questions, and poke around.

Strange Cases are names a GM gives to a specific Alterniversal manifestation. This name may or may not be a hint about the Strange occurrences. Each source manifestation has a single name, sometimes with sub-titles for those that are only distantly related. For example, if an Alterniversal manifestation is from Alterniverse A, the name for it may start with A. So if gelantinous cubes from Alterniverse A have leaked into the sewers, and they are mutating local underground creatures, the Strange Case name might be “A Thing in the Sewers.”

If something mutated by a gelatinous cube has escaped and began a cult that is drawing new Strange energy into an area that might be a sub-title: “A Thing in the Sewers: Secret of the Unknown Horror.”

Once a Strangefinder knows the Strange Case she is working on, each new successful Strange Augury check allows the Strangefinder to use the Research rules from Anachronistic Adventures to attempt to discover how to defeat the Strange monsters (if necessary), or gain a clue about the Main Plotline (as determined by the GM). One additional research check can also be earned on each Strange Case by visiting a place like Marlowe House, or (if you can find it… or it finds you) 1428 Oceanic Ave.

As a result, even if they know what they are up against, Strangefinders generally keep going into the places with freaky occurrences, poking around, and asking questions. If a Strange manifestation seems undefeatable and keeps kicking a Strangefinder’s ass, one of the best ways to learn how to defeat it is to keep pissing it off and having it kick your ass.

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About okcstephens

Owen K.C. Stephens
Owen Kirker Clifford Stephens is the Starfinder Design Lead for Paizo Publishing, the Freeport and Pathfinder RPG developer for Green Ronin, a developer for Rite Publishing, and the publisher and lead genius of Rogue Genius Games.
Owen has written game material for numerous other companies, including Wizards of the Coast, Kobold Press, White Wolf, Steve Jackson Games and Upper Deck.
He also consults, freelances, and in the off season, sleeps.